Konoha's Black Ink Blot
by Piratefish
Summary: "DO IT!" the masked man screamed. The blue man raised his hand, and all was darkness. But it was not over. Rorschach woke up in a new place filled with new, strange beings. But crime never stops, criminals never change, and the dark tide must be stopped.
1. Chapter 1 - Arrival

**Konoha's Black Ink Blot**

Authors Note:

So. This is the prologue to my first real story, a Watchmen/Naruto crossover (in case the title, summary and story info didn't make it clear enough). Most of the story will probably be in Rorchachs point of view, so expect short, choppy sentences. Feel free to comment in any manner. By the way, the beginning of the beginning of the story is a direct rehash of a great scene in Watchmen. It provides a suitable starting point, and hopefully lends a little epicness to the text.

Disclaimer: Don't own nothing. Watchmen is, as far as I know, the property of Alan Moore, and Naruto is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

* * *

><p>A masked man steps out into sub-zero temperatures, his way barred by a blue, glowing being. A confused Owl follows.<p>

"Outta my way. People have to be told."

"You know I can't let you do that."

"Suddenly you discover humanity? Convenient."

Silence. Rorschach removes hat and face, becomes Walter.

"If you'd cared from the start... none of this would have happened."

The blue man is expressionless. Still.

"I can change many things. But I cannot change human nature."

Rage, but not only rage, begins bubbling up unstoppably.

"Of course you must protect Veidt's new utopia. What's one more body amongst the foundations?"

What's _his_ body worth when he has already _failed_?

"What are you waiting for? Do it.", the words are barely audible, "DO IT!"

The blue man nods, softly raises an arm. And all is darkness. An Owl is screaming.

* * *

><p>Walter Kovacs died years ago. Finally, <em>finally<em>, his body had come to rest.

"Hurm. Thought death would be quieter."

Darker, too. It was bright, even with his tired eyes shut. Birds were singing. Dry. Warm. Far, far warmer than the Antarctic had any right to be. Forced open eyes. Blinked, blearily, as a forest stared back at him. Morning. Sun low in the sky. Forest seemed untouched, save for a simple, worn path. Stood up. Legs unsteady.

"Teleported?"

Manhattan _had _seemed to go along with Veidt's plan. But Manhattan was not human. Motives hard to read. Perhaps he would not bow so easily, perhaps he had sent Roschach to punish Adrian for his crimes. Hurm.

Path went east, toward the rising sun, to the west. Where to go? Scratch head in thought. Face! Face still off! Putting it on again gives an intense sense of relief and clarity, as well as muting the rather sharp sunlight. Decision easier with face on.

East. East to the coast, to the city. Time to inform of Ozymandias' treachery, and perhaps show some lowlife _scum _just how much he _missed_ them. Oh yes. Hands in his pockets, Rorschach walked westward.

* * *

><p>Been walking for a while. Sun high in the sky. Discovered replacement grapple hook gun given to him by Daniel, along with pilfered sugar cubes, now long gone. Hurm. Daniel. Knew he was spineless for a long while, since Keene Act outlawed masks. Unsurprised at his consent to Veidt's plan. Still, not good. Anger had him clenching his fists, muttering darkly to himself. <em>Next <em>partner, if one was ever found, had better not be _weak._ _Next_ partner would-

The short vigilante came to an abrupt stop. Air was dry, parched as the frozen wasteland he had been in not half a day ago. So why was there a puddle in the road?

And why was it _whispering_?


	2. Chapter 2 - First Engagement

Quite a bit of Rorschachs surprisingly acute situational awareness was due to his hearing. The soft patter of a footstep, the swish of a knife slashing through the air, the almost inaudible "click" of a tense finger pulling at a trigger. Hearing all of these noises had saved the vigilante's life in the past. The fact that he even now, fully focused, could barely make out the low mumbling coming from ground level put Rorschach on his guard.

_Even the _puddles _are_ _laughing at me._

His fingers twitched. Perhaps a good beating would help calm him down. Though how to administer one to a _puddle _was a bit beyond him. The masked man waited, motionless.

In less than ten seconds, the question was solved for him.

* * *

><p>"Meizu?"<p>

"Yes, Gozu?"

"Should we attack him?"

"He is coming from Konoha."

"But the old man isn't here."

"Does it matter? The old man should arrive at any moment. Perhaps he is a scout."

"I don't sense any chakra from him."

"So he's just a civilian. An unlucky one. Besides, he's wearing a disguise. Maybe he's someone important, or carrying valuables."

"He might be worth something..."

"Yes. On three."

* * *

><p>With no warning aside from the aforementioned whispering, two men sprang out of the puddle and rushed forward, something sharp-looking glinting between them. Swallowing his surprise, Rorschach ducked below the object and dug his hands into his pockets.<p>

_Ah._

Faster than his assailants could react, Rorschach's hands flickered out of his pockets and tore open the arm of one of the puddlemen with the grapply, hooky part of his grappling gun. The man stumbled, letting out a muffled grunt.

"Meizu!", the other one shouted, off guard for a moment. Which was more than enough of an opening for the supposed "victim" of the attack to swivel and fire his gun. There was a sickening snap and the man crashed into a nearby tree, unconscious.

"Goz- kkkh...", was all the gouged man got out before boot met face hard enough to send teeth flying. Hard to tell, with the black facemasks these two wore. Anyway, both now unconscious.

Rorschach almost breathed out contentedly. The beatdown _had _been therapeutic. He cracked his knuckles. Time to get to work.

* * *

><p>Five minutes or so down the road, a silver-haired man stopped abruptly.<p>

"There's a fight up ahead."

His traveling-companions reacted with varying degrees of shock. The client paled significantly and took a swig from his ever-present bottle. A blonde boy, twelve or so, gaped a little, then grinned confidently. The gaze of a stoic dark haired kid intensified, and his final student...

"Kakashi-sensei?" Timid, nervous, but with a hint of resolve, of steel, underneath. Kakashi grinned under his mask. He had been right in passing these three.

"A fight?" The dark haired one looked almost eager.

"Aah, Sasuke, Sakura. It appears to be between two low chuunin-level nin, but..."

"Can I fight them?" Sasuke cuts in.

"Sasuke, you shouldn't interrupt your betters. How many times have I told you that?" The tall ninja rambled in a jovial tone, which immediately hardened. "No you may not. The chuunin have been defeated."

"That was … quick." Kakashi glances at his female student.

"Yes, it was. We will proceed with caution from here on. I'd rather not take my chances with opponent who can take apart two chuunin in an instant. It might've been luck, but the fact that I can hardly sense the chakra of our mysterious foe even now makes me believe that it wasn't. He might be on my level, or, perhaps, even stronger. If so, take Tazuna and run."

The old drunk was looking a bit green about the gills. But something was off. Tazuna was properly terrified of the idea but...

"SENSEI! We couldn't leave you alone! How would I become Hokage if I ran away from my first battle?"

Ooh, loud. Trust Naruto to break his train of thought and give him the beginnings of a headache in one go. Kakashi could _feel _Sakura getting ready to rage at the annoying blond. Had to defuse the situation. The copy-nin mumbled something about unpredictability and Hokages, and the blond walked off, starry-eyed.

Phew. Crisis (headache) averted.

"YOSH! I will be Konoha's most unpredictable ORANGE HOKAGE!"

Aargh... and he'd thought the first outburst was loud...

"Naruto... Come here."

The boy shuffled over, suddenly wary.

"We are about to encounter an unknown shinobi at the edge of our border to the land of Waves. We are facing an enemy, for as far as I know, there are no shinobi of Konoha skilled enough to dispatch two shinobi _far_ more powerful and experienced than yourself near-instantaneously, and, more importantly, hide themselves so well from even _me_, in the region. What should an intelligent shinobi of Konoha do in this situation? An intelligent shinobi would advance quietly, catiously, ready to retreat or fight at an instants notice. You should be alert to _any possible weaknesses _apparent in your opponent, and you should try to discover these _before engaging. _Got that? Good. Now, I'll tell you what you should _not _do. You should _not _scream out your team's position for all to hear! You should _not _inform your enemy of possibly _crucial _information about ambitions and dreams, the better to break you with under torture or genjutsu! If any of your team is wounded or killed due to your _mistakes _today, so help me I'll have you demoted and retired in disgrace! _Got that, recruit?_

Naruto nodded jerkily, face white, eyes wide, hands trembling.

Oh. Shit. He'd just gone full, pissed ANBU captain on a green and relatively sheltered genin. Grown men had pissed themselves for less. 'Course, that was generally _after _watching him dispatch men at least as skilled as they, generally in a casual yet gory manner.

Well. He'd have to apologize later. For now, there was a mission to complete.

"I'll take the lead. Sasuke and Sakura, behind me at a respectable distance to the left and right, repectively. Naruto, guard Tazuna."

Time to _take down_ this unknown shinobi.

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note:<strong> Another chapter done! I take pleasure in the fact that it will be read by at least one person. I have a story alert! It would be nice to have some form of feedback, though. I wasn't aware that I could _hunger _like this for a simple review. I have become a creature of the shadows, _wanting_, _needing_.

Anyway, 'till next time!


	3. Chapter 3 - Interrogation, the First

**Authors Note: **I've hidden/adjusted a reasonably famous quote in this chapter. First one to comment on it gets the next chapter dedicated to them. Or something else, if it is insufficient and/or it's something I'll be willing to do. Feel free to skip the rest. Mostly unimportant anyway.

Literally begging for reviews didn't help me last time, I'm not going to even ask. In this chapter, Rorschach encounters team 7, and they all meet … someone else. It might be a surprise to some, but probably not. Anyway, I've updated my profile page, so to those (extremely few) of you who visited it before I did so, my apologies. Something is better than nothing. On with the story.

* * *

><p>The one called May-zoo awoke with a pathetic keening noise. A kick to the 'nads works wonders when rousing men from unconsciousness.<p>

"Where am I?"

The man's voice is garbled, unintelligible. Possibly due to recent unconsciousness, missing teeth, or the strange breathing apparatus he was wearing. Possibly some combination of the three. Only one of those conditions was adjustable. Bend down, punch in the gut. While he is recovering, tear mask off. Reveal badly split lip, but no loose teeth. Hmm. Mask must have shielded him.

The man spits out some insult, and though his speech is less distorted, his words make no more sense. Sounds vaguely Asian, in fact.

"English. Do you speak it?"

Man continues rant as if he hasn't even heard.

Stupid. The filth he deals with in the city have all heard his name, know his reputation. None of them ignore him, not anymore. It almost feels refreshing.

Another kick impacts the puddleman's face. This time, teeth _do _go flying. The man curses even more violently, sits up, and spits a glob of blood towards his _face_.

_Donotkilldonotkilldonot-_

A gloved hand rushes forward and impacts the now brutalized face of his victim with a satisfying crack. The head comes to rest at an unhealthy angle.

Hurm. Well, there is another of them, and the corpse will help convince of his seriousness. The second puddleman is slumped against a tree, his arm badly broken from trying to stop grapplehook.

Another great way to awaken sleepers is further harm to an already grievously injured bodypart. The vigilante tosses the larger man to the ground, and raises his foot for a stomp.

* * *

><p>The man with the odd mask was... absorbed, in his efforts. He didn't even notice the approaching bridge-builder and escort. He went about his work with a single-mindedness that bordered on the disturbing, considering what that work entailed.<p>

_The T&I could use someone like that, _Kakashi mused. Still, the man wasn't getting much satisfaction. The main problem was the fact that he and his victims didn't even speak the same _languages_. Which was quite odd. The Elemental Countries didn't actually _have_ any other languages, thought the dialects of some of the more isolated villages came close. The only other option Kakashi could think of was code-speak, a technique used by several ANBU-groups, or their equivalent, amongst the largest villages. This didn't fit either, as code-speak primarily used hand-signals and misleading words and phrases, as well as relying at times on complete gibberish. And who would perform an interrogation in _code_, anyway.

As far as he could tell, the Odd Mask was speaking pure nonsense, which meant a new language. Enough dawdling. His genin and client were starting to develop a green tinge.

"Yo!"

* * *

><p>Rorschach turned, filth beneath him momentarily forgotten. Had to be English. He was met with a strange sight.<p>

A gray-haired man, lean, almost completely covered up. His gaze was alert, unafraid, and with a promise of _pain_ should Rorschach turn out to be a threat. It was a gaze Rorschach had seen many times, in the mirror, on the face of Edward Blake, and even on Daniel once or twice.

_Vigilante?_

Behind him was a scowling dark-haired boy and a girl with... pink hair. Both looked slightly unnerved. Behind _them _was yet another boy, blond, clad in screaming orange. Boy seemed to be protecting an elderly man with a bottle and an unsteady gaze.

"Where is New York?"

The gray-haired one answered: "Wakaranai."

"No English?" His hands where shaking. Rage was beginning to overtake conscious thought.

"Doko de sono yō ni kimyō ni hanasu yō ni, keisei sa rete imasu ka?"

"MANHATTAN! How can I inform people if no-one speaks ENGLISH! And why didn't you KILL ME?"

"I did."

To the surprise of all present, a serene voice answered the seemingly rhetorical question. Softly, as if blown by the wind. Rorschach almost took it in his stride. Manhattan had done far stranger things than this.

"Then WHY am I not DEAD?"

"That... may take a little explaining. For now, let me just say that you are not on earth. If you could make the natives speak again, I would be most grateful."

A soft blue glow was forming around the area the voice seemed to be coming from. The newcomers were muttering amongst themselves.

("What _is _that?")

("I don't know, Naruto, though it appears to be some sort of communication jutsu. Which could be very bad.")

("Why, Kakashi-sensei?")

("Look at the man in the coat. Do you see a hitai-ate anywhere?")

("No...?")

("Which means he is either a missing-nin, or a deep cover operative. In any case, if the enemies of Konoha have instant, long distance verbal communications it could be very dangerous for us in any future engagements.")

("_Oh._")

("I see at least _you_ understand, Sakura. Anyway, be ready to fight or run.")

"Fascinating."

"_What?_"

"They seem to be conversing in perfectly idiomatic Japanese."

"I don't _speak_ Japanese!"

Instantly, a sharp pain in his head, like someone _twisting_ a _dagger_ in his _head-_

"You do now."

"Nani?"

"I took the liberty of leaving a … pathway open to your brain, when I reconstructed you here."

"_What?_"

"I'll explain more at a later date. For now, why don't you talk to the natives."

"I _don't _speak JAPANESE!"

Wait.

The mumblings of the group in front of him were making sense. They were arguing about retreating, fighting him, or simply walking by. He _could _speak Japanese.

And Manhattan was gone.


	4. Chapter 4 - Kidnapping

**Author's Note:** Skip, if you wish.

I received no correct answers for my little challenge last chapter, in fact I received no responses at all. Though a little disheartened by that FEAR NOT dear readers (if any exist) for I have a new one! And the old challenge is still open. The next chapter (after this one) will feature one of my favorite Naruto-characters, or a take on that character that I enjoy. 2 points to anyone who manages to guess what character it is, and a whopping 5 (five!) points to whoever manages to guess the correct type. The name of the character starts with the letter S. So, a good answer would look something like this :

"Emo!**S**asuke is obviously your favorite character!"

By the way, if anyone guesses Emo!Sasuke they go on the **inFamous **list, which is named in honor of my first, greatest and possibly only fan; The Infamous Man. No offense meant to you, mr. Infamous.

Shameless self-promotion beyond this point: I've written **another story**! The main character is the under-appreciated Rikudo Sennin of Naruto. It's my attempt to tie in the Naruto world with ours. If you like this story, check it out.

This was a hell of a long Author's note for a guy with two reviews to his name, so **on with the story!**

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><p>"Hey." Rorschachs words didn't sound at all like anything he'd ever said before, but the <em>meaning<em> was the same. Trouble was, the ragtag bunch in front of him were too busy bickering to notice.

"**Hey!**" His voice was not louder but rougher, more dangerous. He was immediately heard.

"So you can talk now." The gray-haired one, not a question.

"Yes. Where am I?"

"You don't know?" A slight tinge of surprise. Judging by the stoic demeanor of the man thus far, he was stunned.

"No."

"About two days from Konoha, and slightly closer to the Wave country. Who are those men?"

"They attacked me."

"_Did_ they... yes, they must have. Your interrogation was... enthusiastic enough for it."

"Hurm."

"What village do you hail from? I don't see any insignia."

"No village." What sort of a question was that? Did _anyone_ not live in cities?

"But you must have had training, to deal with these two."

"Training?" What was the man talking about. Apart from the puddle trick, they were nothing special.

"Shinobi training. The usage of chakra, taijutsu... Genjustu perhaps? You seem the type." Chakra? Illusions?

"I do not know about this... chakra."

"_Really_. I must insist to know your village and nationality. Now."

The tall man's tone was sharp, his presence commanding. He meant business. Rorschach relaxed into a fighting position.

"No village. I come from... across the sea. I wished to see if there was anything of worth to be found. All I see are ambushes and interrogations."

"That is intriguing, if true. Do you know of Konoha? The Land of Fire?"

"No."

"That is where you have landed. I suppose we shall have to show you then."

* * *

><p>The masked interrogator had an odd name. Unintelligible as it was, it suggested roughness, violence. Ro-ru-scha-ku. Odd.<p>

Still, he wasn't hostile, and harbored no more than reasonable levels of suspicion towards team 7 (and Tazuna). And if he came from across the sea, they would have to return to Konoha immediately. Potential future allies, recruits, resources took precedence over a two-bit escort mission any day. Besides, he didn't even know what chakra _was._ How dangerous could he be?

"We will return to Konoha. You shall accompany us, Roruschaku-san. Tazuna will be assigned a new escort."

"WHAT? I have to get home! You can't just turn back now!"

Tazuna looked flabbergasted, angry. His team looked pretty shocked too, but were getting used to seemingly random decisions from their sensei. Still, a couple of days delay shouldn't receive this kind of reaction. Wait...

"Your reaction to the fight... there was something lacking."

At Tazuna's ghost-white face, suspicion solidified.

"What are you talking about?"

"Is there something you want to tell us, Tazuna-san?"

"No... I..."

"You weren't surprised at the idea of shinobi intercepting us. Not even when I said they might be elite-jonin level. Why was that?"

The only answer was silence. Tazuna's face was pale, expression rigid.

"You said the only threat was a possible bandit attack, Tazuna-san."

More silence.

"**Tell me now.**" Kakashi unleashed a decent amount of killing intent with those words. Not enough to give the old man a heart attack, but the very air felt thicker, heavier. Roruschaku's impassive, immobile visage somehow suggested interest.

"We... I... There's a tyrant, Gato! He's got the whole of Wave in his grip, and we can't stop him. People are starving in the streets! I'm a builder, and if I survive, if I can make a bridge to the mainland, Gato won't have free reign anymore. We didn't have enough money for a pricier mission."

"You got what you paid for. Gato has missing-nin in his employ?"

A terse nod.

"You are lucky we found out about this. If any of my students had died on this trip, **they wouldn't have died alone.**"

Tazuna was shaking. He might have overdone it on the intimidation.

"You... risked the lives of... children?" The foreigner was radiating a deathly anger, and seemed to be losing his grip on language.

At Tazuna's barely perceptible nod, Roruschaku rushed forward. Quite fast, and no chakra was being released. Not fast enough.

"Stop." With his arms pulled behind his back, the raging man could only acquiesce.

"We will deal with him in Konoha."

-{0o0o0}-

"What's up with the mask Roruschaku-kowai-san?"

The little blonde one was bothering him _again_.

"Rorschach. My name is Rorschach, boy."

"And MY name is Naruto! Remember it, old man! I'm gonna be HO-"

The boy abruptly stopped, glancing nervously at the grayheaded one (Kakashi, his name was).

"Good catch, Naruto-kun."

The boy gave a very slight smile, and resumed his enquiries.

"But _seriously_, what's with the mask. It's cool."

"Not cool. Beautiful. Black and white clashing with each other, never merging, never mixing. Only what is just, and what must be _corrected_."

The boy looked a little put-off by his vehemence, but still managed a weak:

"C-cool."

"And a rather apt philosophy, for a shinobi. You would do well to listen to his words, Naruto-kun."

"Hai, sensei."

It was odd, the relationship between Kakashi and his students. Something between a sergeant and a teacher. All seemed to be part of a military organization, where child-soldiers were apparently common. Mixed feelings about this. No time for kids to grow soft, weak, like so many in his world.

_Like Daniel._

Still didn't like thought of children in war, but none of them seemed to have been exposed to much difficulty. Except maybe the Scowler. Hard to tell with him. Teacher seemed to genuinely care for them though. No need to intervene, for now.

Anyway, teacher was _fast. _Crossed 15 feet to Rorschach faster than he the 6 feet to the old man, had him pinned before he was even noticed. Rorschach _cultivated_ unpredictability. His actions were untelegraphed and decisive. Grayhead could not have predicted his charge, but he was still pinned.

And the commanding villager had seen hardship. His eyes held a certain... emptiness... that Rorschach had seen too many times before. He would not be beaten easily. Hard to tell if he could be beaten at all.

"We will make camp here." Teacher's cheerful instruction sounded.

"Still light out." Scowler replied.

"Aah, but we've reached our earlier camping spot, so you guys should have an easier time putting the tents up. And seeing as we turned around well after midday, you really picked up the pace when we set our course for Konoha. So you must be tired."

"But-"

"Sasuke, you take first watch."

Scowler scowled harder.

* * *

><p>Dark out now. Traveling through dimensions surprisingly hard work. Tired. Very tired.<p>

* * *

><p>"Hello, Rorschach."<p>

Snow was screaming through the air, wind howling. Landscape, rugged, shrouded in white. An eerie blue glow in the sky, and a serene blue man before him. Should be cold. Wasn't.

"Dreaming?"

"Ah, yes. That was quick."

A moment of comparative silence.

"Why am I not dead. You said you killed me." Less anger now. Some still evident. It was supposed to be _over_!

"I did kill you. Though I may have... memorized the bioelectrical composition of your body as I deconstructed it. And then remade you, here."

"Why? And why not on Earth?"

"That... is a difficult question. I am not welcome on Earth any more. Fragile peace between nations may be ruptured by someone like me. Or so they say. It is, in fact, a ploy of Adrian's, to keep me from his domain. And I have left him alone, for some time now."

"How long?"

"Some thirty-nine years. It is not easy, to remake, to improve, a human being. Even for me. I needed time."

"I... can't stop Veidt."

"No. Whatever you planned to stop, he has already achieved. And you cannot even reach him."

"WHY? Why bring me back, if I can't do what _MUST be DONE?_"

"I have been deconstructed myself, some three times now. Once, as Osterman. Once, in the Antarctic base. And one last time, when world leaders decided to demonstrate that I was no longer welcome on Earth."

"That answers _nothing!_"

"Patience. The first time, I was confused. Struggled to even sense the disjointed molecules I was made of, much less my surroundings. I left and returned to Earth without even noticing.

"The second time I was focused. Pulling myself together was easy, quick. And when I sent my perceptions outward, I was surprised."

"Tell your story. I can't stop you."

"I was not in Antarctica. Was not even on Earth. I was in a bustling city, the likes of which I have never seen. The very air was _thrumming_ with energy. And then, the universe itself _rejected_ me, and I returned, confused."

"And I am here, now. Why haven't _I_ returned?"

"Where would you return to? You were _made_ here. In any case, I remade you some distance from my initial position. Perhaps that is why you haven't been forced elsewhere."

"Where did you land?"

"You are headed there now, in fact."

* * *

><p>Wake up. Still tired, exhausted, and the night is dark. Can't have slept long, perhaps only an instant. Scowler scowling in every direction. Hurm. One way to keep watch.<p>

"_I shall require a sample to examine." _

"You'll get one."

Stumble towards dark-haired boy, put an arm on his shoulder. The world dissolves into blue light.

* * *

><p>"Hello, boy. What are you called?"<p>

Ground is red, a flat plain stretching in every direction. Sky black, not blue, and the stars are clearer than they ever have been. No clouds.

"This isn't Earth, either."

"No. We are on the lifeless half of Mars. The empty part of my domain."

They both turn to the boy.

"Well? Do you have a name?"

* * *

><p>Sasuke was dumbstruck, which didn't happen often. Oh, he never did say much, but that was a voluntary decision. Not something forced upon him by a masked kidnapper, a far too clear sky, and a glowing blue man.<p>

A _giant, naked_, glowing blue man.

A sharp pain to the back of the head. The other one was impatient.

"He is called Sasuke. I call him Scowler."

At this, Sasuke scowled impressively, realized it did nothing to detract from his new name, and stopped.

"I can see why."

In his irritation, Sasuke recovered his voice.

"What is this? Genjutsu? Where am I? What _are _you?"

The blue man smiled. Nastily, in Sasuke's opinion.

"I assure you, this is no illusion. You are here to be examined. I am Doctor Manhattan, and you will never see anything like me again. And you are very, _very_ far from home."

Sasuke shivered, and tried to convince himself it was the cold.

"Now **sleep**."

* * *

><p>You'd think there'd be more to do on Mars, Rorschach mused, as he threw yet another rock a frankly implausible distance.<p>

* * *

><p>"I am finished."<p>

Roused from his semi-aware state, Rorschach straightened.

"Did you find out anything?"

"Indeed I did. This boy can create a remarkable amount of energy-"

"Chakra, they call it."

"Indeed. And he can shape it to his will. I have not yet discovered the limits of this energy, but it is quite interesting. And I can give you the capacity to mold it, if you wish."

"What?"

"I... think you would enjoy it greatly. Let's see, how can I do this without causing too much pain?

And then his _veins _were _on fire._


	5. Chapter 5 - Interrogation, the Second

Rorschach came awake sluggishly, painfully. It seemed like every cell in his body was aching. He'd described the sensations of his body like that before, Rorschach was no stranger to pain. He'd just never managed to work up as _comprehensive_ an injury as this before.

At the same time, he felt _alive_. Fire in his veins, no longer burning as it had before. No longer hurting him, but smoldering, _just_ below the surface. The vigilante had never felt like this before. And he _liked _it.

"Ah, you're awake. It seems, then, it is time for you to leave this place." Rorschach's eyes blinked open. Manhattan, as unconcerned as ever. Scowler, with too-wide eyes, looking mildly shell-shocked. And oddly dissappointed. The boy was _dusty._

"Thought... you said it... wouldn't _hurt_..." Breath rasping in his lungs, words barely making it out.

"I was attempting to minimize the pain. I… wasn't very succesful, I apologize. Still, I am confident in my success, should I ever attempt such a thing again."

"I was... test subject?"

"So to speak. But you must be going. You have been gone all night and morning, and I suspect these... _shinobi_... might be getting worried. Farewell."

And the now familiar blue light blotted out all else.

* * *

><p>Kakashi wasn't happy. At all.<p>

He'd accepted an unknown element into his camp, confident in his own ability to deal with any eventual threat. The man hadn't seemed at all hostile to their little group, save when certain... unsavory details about Tazuna's mission were pointed out. Kakashi was prepared to forgive him for that, it wasn't like he was happy himself. And then he had woken up in the middle of the night, grabbed the last (true) Uchiha, and vanished. It wasn't shunshin. Shunshin could be tracked, even predicted, if one knew how, and Kakashi did. It wasn't even Hiraishin. No chakra to be detected, at all. Now that he thought about it, he hadn't sensed any chakra from the strange communication technique used earlier, either. It seemed the kidnapper truly did not know about chakra, but he also posessed a similar, undetectable, analogous energy source. And now Sasuke was gone.

Kakashi hit a nearby tree, hard enough to leave splinters in his gloves. The council were going to have a fit. He'd been pushing it hard enough as it was, with his-

Blue glow, center of camp.

* * *

><p>Sakura was out of sorts. First the stress of a possible high-level confrontation, then witnessing <em>torture<em> first hand, then _traveling_ with said torturer, then Tazuna's betrayal, and now _Sasuke_ was _gone!_ Truth be told she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. How was she ever going to marry Sasuke-kun if he had been captured by a torturer. Maybe she could rescue him? Yes! She would save her precious Sasuke-ku-

What _was_ that?

* * *

><p>Naruto was feeling pretty good, all things considered. Sure, he had missed out on fighting, and gotten shouted at- no, that wasn't right. But talked down to didn't have the same impact. Perhaps he'd read a book or something, when he got back? Yes, a Hokage had to be the smartest! He'd read <em>every<em> book! But, Naruto had come to a decision. He wouldn't be spoken to like that again by Kakashi, and as soon as he was back in Konoha, he'd _do_ something about it! Oh yes! And now that Sasuke-teme was gone, it would work out even better! Things were looking up. He had Sakura-chan all to himself! Perfectio-

Huh. Blue. Wait, what?

He could see _shapes_, in the blue. They were getting clearer. A big one and a small one. Wait, the little one looked like-

"Sasuke-kuuuuun!"

Well, shit.

The sound of a fist hitting flesh. Hard. If a punch could sound like built-up tension being released, that was what it sounded like.

Wait, Kakashi was _behind _him, wasn't he? And now he was carrying an unconscious Rorschach on his shoulder. Naruto hadn't even seen him _move! _When would _he_ get fast like that.

Oh. Yes, the Plan.

That could work.

* * *

><p>Head hurt. Feels like he'd been dragged a long way, after being punched unconscious. May well be the case. Why was he being knocked out so often these days?<p>

"You're awake." Lift head, scrutinize man in charge of checking prisoners' state of consciousness. Tall, scarred, clad in black. Dead eyes.

"Yes." Not much else to say.

"I am Ibiki. I am in charge of your future from now on. If you do not cooperate with our questions, we will resort to... other methods. Why did you take Uchiha Sasuke to locations unknown, for roughly 11 hours?"

"Was instructed to."

"Who instructed you to do so. Why Sasuke?"

"He has chakra. That was reason?"

"You kidnapped someone... because they had chakra?

"Yes."

"Not because of his Sharingan?"

"Copy... wheel... eye?"

"You are aware that every human being in the elemental countries has at least trace amounts of the stuff?"

"No, wasn't."

"Why did you pick the Uchiha?"

"Least likely to make fuss. Didn't, really."

Ibiki seemed confused by the whole conversation. Hard to read, but not impossible.

"_Why_ did you need someone with chakra? How did you even manage to transport him... Where did you take him?"

"Wanted to study it. Don't know how. Mars."

"Mars?"

"Mars."

"Where is this place?"

"Very far away."

"More detail."

"Hurm. You can't reach it."

Ibiki seemed almost approving of this turn of events.

"How many people live there?"

"One. Or zero. Hard to tell if he can be counted as a person, really."

"Is he a Jinchuuriki, perhaps?"

"What?"

"No, you would know what chakra was, if you had Jinchuuriki. They _ooze_ the stuff."

The scarred man stood up. "Very well." "I have what I need, for now. Be seeing you." he nodded, not at Rorschach, someone behi-

Sharp pain in back of head. Darkness.

"Well, you probably won't see much."

* * *

><p>Head was pounding, hard. Once got clipped by the Owlship after being hit in the back of the head during an ambush. This was worse. Thoughts... not straight.<p>

"Hello there." Grandfatherly sort of voice. Hard edge, underneath.

This time an old man is in the cell. Look around. Alone. Man wearing white robes, odd triangular hat. Dignitary?

"It's time" Man places hat on the table. Put one hand in pocket. "for us to talk."

A flicker of motion. Sharp edge against throat, burning light in eyes. Man _holding_ a white-hot _fireball_. Dark, unreflective knife against throat. Feel flicker of fear.

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

No-one even attempted to guess, but here's your answer: Badass!Sarutobi! He's the longest reigning Hokage, possibly the longest reigning Kage in history! He _can't_ not be badass, when he wants to be.

Seriously guys. I've posted five chapters and issued two challenges in a nine days and only 1 single guy (you're a great guy, mr. Infamous) has managed to hit the review button? I know that there's some people who've added this thing to their story alerts/favorites and even they haven't managed to type a single word in response? This is weak, guys. If you keep it up I'll let Rorschach _gut_ you. But seriously, the message you all are sending me here is that my story is too "meh" to even write "ok." in the review box. Come on! If this story (or my gradually more exasperated author's notes) make you want to pull out my nose hairs one by one with red-hot tweezers _goddamn it, say so!_ If my magnificent prose makes you want to make sweet, passionate love to me in the backseat of the car you drove for days to find me in... I'll get back to you. The point is, throw me a bone here!


	6. Chapter 6 - New Arrangements

"I will say this to you. In the Fire Country, anyone can be dangerous, for one such as yourself. A kid could run faster and hit harder than you. A double-amputee could trap you in an alternate reality and slit your throat. And I," The man's eyes were blazing fire. "could kill any fifty people you know, in the blink of an eye. Tell me _everything_ you know."

Rorschach swallows sudden nervousness, composes himself. Blinks at the too-bright light of the flame not far from his nose-hairs. His _face_! They took his face! He didn't take it off, he is still Rorschach. Fear gives way to righteous anger.

"Where is my... mask?" He speaks slowly, carefully. It is only partly because of the knife at his throat. Daniel would be running away at this point. It is the calm before the storm.

"Not important. _Tell me._"

"Where is my _face?_" The power in him is bubbling, raging. An instant from being unleashed.

"Kakashi said you _didn't _have chakra. I can't believe he was wrong about something like-"

"Where is MY _FACE?_" And exploding outward in a burst of _fire_.

He isn't burning. The table is, floor is. Man is in opposite corner of room, seemingly shaken.

"HahaHA!" The rush of _power_ is exhilarating. Can't be stopped _now_, can he? Now, to get out of the roo-

Fist to the gut. Hard. Hand lifting him up, around his abused neck. The only reason Rorschach even recognizes the sensations is his having experienced them before. The old man hits _hard._ His grip is steel.

"It seems you have yet more secrets. I don't have time for any more _play_ though."

Unconscious _again_.

* * *

><p>"Willing to talk now?"<p>

"Hurm..." Blinding headache, stomach feels like it was hit by a battering ram.

Talking hurts.

"I don't think you've ever even used chakra before, have you? And you thought to take on _me?_ I, who have been fighting and killing legends for decades? Hah. That confidence... I've seen it before, felt it before.

"'Course, none of those I've seen were older than seven. You're a unique case, in many ways. I don't think I've ever seen such a natural affinity for fire. Manifesting flames before even pure chakra... Extraordinary. You also seem to have chuunin-level reserves, if not those of a weak jonin."'

"I don't know... those terms."

"Ah, yes. Unique, as I said. A chuunin is a mediocre ninja, while a jonin is a good one. You've met one of our better jonin, Hatake Kakashi."

"What are you? Not faster than grey-hair, but..."

"More skilled? You've not seen either of us really cut loose, but you may be right. I _am_ getting older. My rank is that of the Hokage, Lord of all Shinobi in Konoha and Fire Country."

"Leader."

"Yes." The old man pulls out a pipe, lights it with a flick of his fingers. "Actually, I have a proposition for you. If you agree to our terms, we will train you."

"Train me?"

"Teach you to control your not inconsiderable power. That paltry trickle of flame earlier? Pah. With our help, you may summon _oceans_. You would move like the wind, achieve the strength of ten men. None of those you know could stand against you."

Tempted. Sorely tempted. The _scum_ of New York would never_ dare_ show its face, not with Rorschach able to perform inhuman feats such as these...

"Only one or two who can fight me, now. And there is one I don't think even you can stop."

"Really? Intriguing."

The old man seemed lost in thought, after offering Rorschach a slow glance. Rorschach waited, three slow breaths.

"What do I give?"

"Ah, yes, your side of the deal. You are never to raise a hand against any member of the Fire Country, unless ordered to. You are to fight our enemies, if it becomes necessary. And you are to tell us all you know."

Rorschach immediately stiffened.

"Oh, it's not like you can stop us, anyway. We have the greatest of mind-readers, here in Konoha. It would take more time, certainly more effort, and you wouldn't be of much, or indeed any, use afterward. If you resist, that is. And you strike me as the kind of man who would."

He wouldn't let _anyone_ fool around with his _mind, _that was for sure. What _were _these people?

"And, of course," The man began, producing something from a pocket, "You'll have your mask back."

And there it lay. His face. Been without it far too long. _Need it._

"I agree to your terms. As long as I agree with your methods."

The Hokage gazes at him curiously.

"If you disobey us, you die. Immediately."

"I am aware."

"You are an interesting man, Rorschach-san. But now it's time for you to meet your handler."

The man gestured at the door. A tiny ridge of earth opened it.

A tense ten seconds pass.

"He can't be late _again, _can he?"

* * *

><p>Author's Note:<p>

Chapter is a bit short, but it seemed like a natural cut-off point. And it came fast!

Why won't anyone review?


	7. Chapter 7 - Accomodations

"This is where you'll stay," Kakashi gestures, face somehow wry beneath mask. "Once the door is closed, you can't get out. There's food, bathroom facilities and such. Not much in the way of entertainment, though. I'll be around at some point tomorrow, I think. Ja ne."

The door swings shut, masking the shinobi and last traces of sunlight from view.

Room is dull. White ceiling, floor. Grey walls. Featureless. A narrow corridor, ending in another door. The only difference between the two is some sort of scribbling on the one he just came through. On and around doorknob.

Moving closer. Perhaps he can read, as well as speak, but no luck. Meaningless scratchings, but arranged in a complex, definite, way. Odd.

Door won't open. Not surprised.

Other one does. Leads to a sparse kitchen. Same dismal colors. Same dead feeling. Not hungry, though he should be. Will eat later. There's another door to try. This one leads to a tiny bedroom, with a bathroom through the revealed, and final, door.

Haven't these people ever heard of windows?

* * *

><p>Turns out it's the masked, grey haired one, who is to watch him. Hurm. Man didn't seem undisciplined at their first meeting. And to willfully disobey, or at least delay, the Old Man! The village leader had a gaze similar to Blake's. Old soldier. But though Blake's gaze was tinged with tiredness, and a certain, fatalistic humor, the Old Man's eyes still burned with conviction. He would do whatever, <em>whatever<em>, was needed to accomplish his goals. And no mercy was afforded to those in his way.

Walter shivered, slightly. Didn't feel quite safe here, without mask on. Had to take it off, to eat and sleep. It needed to be returned.

* * *

><p>Must be midday, now. Gotten hungry twice. Stared at walls. Too much grey.<p>

* * *

><p>Can still, faintly, <em>feel<em> the flicker of energy deep inside. Feels like… like it's all the way down. To the soul. Now, how to call it out?

Last time, it was anger, _rage_, that did the job. That can't continue. Contrary to what most believe, when Rorschach really fought, he fought _cold_. Controlled. Hard to keep from being stabbed, shot, when all that's in your mind is smashing bones and faces. Learned that early on.

Trying to replicate that feeling of power, surging through his fingers. Nothing yet. Will keep trying.

* * *

><p>Hours later. Thought there was a flicker once or twice. Quite tired now. Is it night? He <em>has <em>managed to call up the energy (chakra) to his hands. They are uncomfortably warm. Itchy. _Charged_.

But no fire.

A low grumble of discontent. And more than a little disappointment.

Tear mask off, set it on lap. Even though the breath comes a little easier, the images a little sharper, it is a burden not having it on. But still…

Endlessly shifting, changing. Half formed images barely glimpsed before being consumed into nothingness. Rorschach lifts his face a little closer. That endless motion, it's almost like-

_Fire!_

Hand on fire, _face_ on fire, just started_ burning_. Face is hastily tossed away, for protection. But he felt it give, felt it _melt_, under his fingers. No spare here. No possible replacement.

The sudden chill inside Rorschach is more than enough to extinguish the flames. He hardly notices.

* * *

><p>Face <em>not<em> ruined. Edges of the hole were immediately cauterized, none of the vital black fluid escaped. Though his left eye will now be exposed to the world, and the edges of the hole are permanently stained black.

Perhaps it was time for a change, anyway.

So tired.

* * *

><p>Next day is spent practicing, gathering energy and releasing it in bursts. Discover limits, work on improving them. In a way it is calming, just like exercising the body.<p>

Both are for combat.

The walls would be covered in scorch-marks, if they could be scorched.

* * *

><p>The rooms have not changed, but the supplies have been restocked. And there is a bowl by the bed. It may have been there last night, but it seemed to mundane to note.<p>

But the bowl is not mundane.

It is average in size, but has a raised chip along its edge, and is molded to the rocklike substance of the bedside table, which in turn is molded to the floor. Much like the rest of the furniture here, it is not to be moved.

The edge-chip is sharp enough to draw blood. Easily.

And the inside of the bowl is covered in those markings, etched into the stone.

* * *

><p>Next day. Or at least after next sleep. Impossible to tell in here. No changes, except the occasional flicker of the archaic lighting.<p>

There is only silence.

"Helloooooooooooooooooo!"

The announcement is followed by enthusiastic knocking.

Curse. Stumble towards exit. Get blinded by the intense sunlight, seen for the first time in _weeks_, it feels like. Violent anger towards the person in front of him.

"You said you would get me out of here _yesterday_."

"No I didn't. I said _maybe._"

A fist clenches, slowly filling with destructive energy.

"_That_ was three days ago. I do hope you don't mind."

An internal scream of rage. The dangerous trickle does not lessen.

"You're not _angry _or anything, are you?"


	8. Chapter 8 - Explanations

A moment of consideration. Should Rorschach use the fire stored in his hand? It seems almost juvenile, to use his newfound power, in an infantile gesture of rage. It was only some solitude. Didn't hurt him. Not like he doesn't seek it himself, and often.

_Why not,_ he thinks, and lets fly.

Kakashi dodges easily, though his eyes definitely widen at the small plume of fire that erupts from the missed punch. Rorschach fought back a sudden sense of fatigue.

"Nice trick."

And Kakashi tossed the vigilante neatly over his shoulder.

"But you shouldn't attack your superiors, even to test them. I'm taking you to the training grounds. Follow."

After flying several meters and skidding along the dirt, from a throw by a guy built like a scarecrow, Rorschach only feels shock when he sees the shinobi disappear into a run. Annoyed, Konoha's newest recruit takes off after him.

* * *

><p>The training ground was maybe three thousand meters away. Normally a run like this wouldn't bother him unduly, but even after a few days of rest, Rorschach can feel the results of his tangle with the elderly village-chief. And, of course, the multitude of knocks to the head he had received, strong enough to render him unconscious. By the end of the run, his head was pounding, and the ache in his gut had reappeared.<p>

On the edges of a large, open forest clearing, the pink haired girl and Scowler were regarding him with interest, though the boys' was expertly masked. The annoying blond one was nowhere to be seen. The pink hair, Sakura, appeared almost shell-shocked.

"You're on time!"

Her exclamation wasn't directed at him.

"I am, in fact, half an hour late. I hope that question doesn't mean _you guys_ have only just arrived?"

Sakura blushed brilliantly, and Scowler scowled intently at what appeared to be a particularly interesting section of the branch he was sitting on.

"Anyway, where's Naruto?"

"He's… not here-"

"I can see _that, _Sakura, it is, in fact, why I asked the question."

"He's sometimes… late?" The girl speaks in barely a whisper, towards the end. Seems sensei isn't usually this annoyed.

Kakashi's gaze hardened further.

"Very well. In any case, you both remember Rorschach-san? He has been assigned to my care. I will be training him alongside you guys, and today we'll have a spar."

"He's an adult," Sasuke said, voice doubtful.

"He also has little to no knowledge of ninjutsu or genjutsu. I imagine he may outclass you guys in taijutsu, but you'll have to work around that. Besides, it's good preparation."

The two spoke at once:

"Preparation?"

"_No _ninjutsu?"

"Indeed, he has no ninjutsu at all to his name, Sasuke, and does not know how they work. As far as I know. He _did_ just show me an interesting taijutsu/ninjutsu hybrid, and I know for a fact that no one here has taught him. So be on your guard. That technique," Kakashi gave Rorschach a stern glance, "Is not to be used during the spar.

"Preparation, Sakura, for the Chuunin exams are only a few months away. If, and only if, I think you are skilled enough, you may enter. You are facing an opponent you have limited information on, and a certain degree of apprehension toward. This is probably as good an approximation of a… certain part of the exams, as you are going to get. Make the best of it, and you'll be one step closer to chuunin.

"I must say, Naruto is not making a good impression."

"You want me… to fight_ them?_" Rorschachs normally dull tone was incredulous.

"And Naruto as well, if he's planning to show up today."

Rorschach gave a small nod. "I assume you'll step in, if it goes too far?"

Kakashi's mask crinkled. Was that a smile?

"Yep."

"And what is this ninjutsu you speak of?"

"Ah. I suppose it _would _be a bit unfair, to let you fight ninja without even rudimentary knowledge of ninjutsu. And genjutsu, as you apparently know enough about taijutsu already."

"Taijutsu?"

"The art of physical combat. You know, regular fighting."

Rorschach nodded again. He _knew_ regular fighting.

"Ninjutsu and genjutsu are a bit more complex. If one utilizes chakra, one can achieve a multitude of effects. Genjutsu uses a small to medium amounts of the stuff to affect the targets perceptions, making them experience whatever you want them to experience. To be a master of genjutsu, you need expert control of your chakra. And even then, quite often a simple chakra pulse is enough to break free. Sakura, you would be most effective at genjutsu, among the members of team 7. And Rorchach-san, you yourself might prove capable in this area.

"Ninjutsu is utilization of chakra to impact something physically. It requires medium to, quite frankly _insane_ amounts of chakra. One can sink chakra into,"

Here Kakashi pulled out a chart, with five different coloured orbs on it, arranged in a rough pentagon with arrows leading from one to the next. The kanji inside read: (_he could read!_) "Earth, water or air to take control of said element, and also convert it into any of the five. Well, you _can_ "take control" of any source of fire or lightning, but those tend to be harder tocome by. You are quite the adept at manipulating fire already."

Scow- _Sasuke_ suddenly appeared more interested.

"Ninjutsu can also be elementally neutral, like the Transformation, Substitution or Body Flicker. The Nara are adept at using large amounts of yang-energy in their chakra, with novel results. But, you won't be facing one of those, so I guess it doesn't matter for now."

Rorschach's mind was awhirl with new information.

"Step into the center of the clearing."

The vigilante and his (even more) diminutive opponent did so.

"Ready?"

Man and boy tensed.

"_Begin_."

And flew towards each other.

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Note:<strong>

I really hope I can write fight scenes. And it won't be long before you find out.


	9. Chapter 9 - A Spar

**Author's Note:**

You guys aren't _obliged_ to review or anything, but it's not as if it would hurt you. If I had as many reviews as story/author alerts, I'd have at least… 4 more reviews. So there! Please help an aspiring author in need (of response!=).

Sorry about the long wait, I've been busy with both RL and a couple other stories. I kind of hit a roadblock on this one, but now that I've hit a roadblock on a _different_ story, I figure it's a good time to continue with this. As a reward, you guys get a slightly longer chapter, with lotsa fighting. Of course, the chapters in this story are generally short, but this'll be a _bit _longer than usual.

**Story time:**

* * *

><p>Stepping out into the center of the training field, Sasuke sure hadn't been expecting something like <em>this, <em>when he woke up this morning. Waking up, practicing on his own, waiting for Kakashi, do some boring missions. That was what he had anticipated.

Not entering into a fight with his masked kidnapper.

No matter. Even this (rather intimidating) opponent had no chance, against the might of the Uchiha!

Although he still hadn't awakened his Sharingan…

"Ready?"

_Itachi had at eight._

"_Begin."_

And then there was no time for self-loathing.

* * *

><p>Rorchach was almost <em>laughing.<em> He sometimes thought he'd forgotten _how_, and most of those who knew him thought he'd never even learned, but he felt like doing so now.

Fighting was a brutal thing. Rorschach, not exactly a delicate person himself, sometimes found pleasure in the meting out of pain during his battles, but never the in battles themselves. He was good at them, _very _good, but that didn't mean he enjoyed them. They were simply the means to an end.

Fighting with chakra was like _flying_. He was so light, so fast, so strong. Everything was _so much __easier_.

Exchanging a flurry of blows, Rorschach noticed his opponent was having a little trouble, and since it was only a spar, the vigilante gave the boy some breathing space.

Sasuke's fingers flew together and formed some odd symbols. He drew in a deep breath, and suddenly Rorschach _knew_ what was going to happen. He _felt_ the fire in the boy, and his own responded. His right hand filled with chakra at a rate he had never before achieved, and he stuck it out in front of him.

"Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu!"

A surprisingly large fireball emerged from the boy's mouth, and Rorschach released the energy in his hand, and _caught_ the _fireball_.

"Keh…keheheh." It sounded more like a dying bird than any form of laughter, but that was what it was.

The boy looked about ready to piss himself. Rorschach grinned, beneath his mask, and cracked his knuckles.

"YO! Sasuke-TEME! Need any HELP?"

The Uchiha looked infinitesimally relieved, but before he could answer (probably in the negative, boy was proud after all), the newly arrived blonde eyesore formed a single symbol, and shouted out:

"Tajuu Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

And then the whole field was _orange_ and _shouting_, and Rorschach gave a small groan.

And they rushed him. He gave a decent punch to the first challenger, and it, he, whatever, exploded into smoke.

So that was how it was. No need to hold back, then.

Rorschach dashed into the mass of blond kids, and commenced _really_ fighting.

He tore, kicked, dashed, whirled, and punched all around in a frenzy of gleeful destruction. The blondes didn't seem to have any idea how to deal with him, and they were all _too slow_ anyway. If he could use his fiery punch thing he could have mowed down many clones in a single blow, but this way was enjoyable too. _Very _much so. Underneath the swirling ink on his face, Rorschach was grinning madly.

His fist struck something solid, and what was apparently the real blonde went careening into a tree, almost immediately struggling to his feet. And then the clones were gone, and he was facing Scowler again. He advanced, slowly, unaware of the instinctive killing intent we was unleashing. All he knew was that he'd _never_ had a fight like this before, and he _really _liked it.

* * *

><p>Sasuke stared, openmouthed, at the stranger. He looked decidedly intimidating, despite the strange attire, and the one visible eye was awash with insane bloodlust. This monster, this <em>true<em> avenger, took a step forward. And another.

His heart was pounding madly in his chest. He'd never felt like this before. He'd never _truly_ believed Itachi would kill him until he knew better, and then Itachi was long gone. This man though… this man would, and he would not bat an eye.

Another step.

And Sasuke _couldn't _stop him! His taijutsu, endless hours though he had spent practicing it, was useless. The man had been _toying_ with him, he could tell. And he had subsequently proved it, with the increasingly speedy and _vicious_ ways he had taken apart Naruto's clones. Naruto was nothing special, but… those had been a lot of clones, in very little time.

Yet another step closer.

And then there was the… Goukakyuu. His strongest technique, the quintessential Uchiha katon jutsu, and the Shifting Mask had just raised a hand. As if it was nothing. Even Kakashi had been forced to take him seriously because of it, but the stranger had just _blocked. _And he had laughed, at this Uchiha upstart's _pathetic_ techniques. His heart was really pumping _madly._

Another step, and a blindingly fast punch. Sasuke somehow managed to get a block up in time, but it was followed by a strange twisting kick which forced him back, even though he _did_ block.

Rorschach gave a slight nod.

And Sasuke was defending again, the punches and kicks coming faster and harder than before. Somehow he was keeping up, even increasing the pace himself. He could even count the tiny cracks in his opponents worn gloves, _predict_ somehow what was coming next.

His eyes widened. The Sharingan! He had the Sharingan! _Nothing _could stop-

A fist met his face, and the last loyal Uchiha slumped, unconscious, against a tree.

* * *

><p>Rorschach let loose another laugh. The boy had more skill than he'd first thought! And then, he turned his gaze to Kakashi's final student.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN:** The practice of disabling a wide area elemental technique with a more concentrated one is actually canon. Kakashi uses a two-handed Raikiri to defend against Kakuzu's Gian in their fight. Of course, Rorschach couldn't have known this. He's simply winging it, and thoroughly enjoying the experience.


	10. Chapter 10 - Conversations and Futures

Kakashi was honestly impressed. Rorschach-san had fought Sasuke to a standstill, defeated a large amount of Naruto's clones, as well as the blond himself, released a decent amount of killing intent, unlocked Sasuke's Sharingan, and _still_ defeated the boy. He only seemed slightly winded. He was a decent chunin level in fighting ability, even without nin- or genjutsu. Not bad at all.

"K-k-k-Kakashi-sensei! I c-can't fight him!" Sakura was trembling as badly as her voice was. This wasn't even a_ real_ combat situation! Though he shouldn't blame her for that, his Uchiha student had believed it real enough...

"You have to. Sometimes you don't have a choice about when you have to fight, or whom to fight against."

"He beat Sasuke! I can't b-b-beat him!"

"_Listen._ If this was a _real_ battle, he would simply kill you, move on to Naruto, kill _him-_"

"HEY!"

Ignoring the blond, Kakashi continued, "and then kill Sasuke. You'd be the only one who could stop all that, at this point. _Fight_ him!"

Sakura was close to tears. "I _can't!"_

Kakashi hid his disappointment.

A rough voice. "I don't _kill_ children." If anything, this caused Sakura to look even more frightened.

The Copy-Nin only sighed.

* * *

><p>"Sakura, why did you become a shinobi?"<p>

The training session was over, and he had sent all of his students home but one. They'd had to wait for the last Uchiha to regain consciousness, but that hadn't taken long. As he left, Sasuke had seemed almost… enthusiastic.

"To get close to Sasuke-kun!" The girl seemed to have completely forgotten her earlier… experiences, at her elation that Sasuke had unlocked his Sharingan.

"That's a lie. You enrolled in the Academy long before you knew who he _was_, and even longer before you became… infatuated, which I imagine happened some time after the Uchiha massacre. _Why_ are Konoha kunoichi so attracted to tragedy? Anyway, I ask again. Why did you become a shinobi?"

Sakura had, in private moments, been wondering about that herself lately. "I… don't know…"

The Copy-Nin gave a quiet sigh. "You'd better find out soon."

* * *

><p>There was someone waiting for him at the memorial stone. He'd been meaning to have a word with this one too, but it wasn't as urgent. Though this may be for the best.<p>

"Yo, Naruto. Why are you here?"

_And _how_ did you know to be here?_

Naruto appeared uncharacteristically intense. Not enthusiastic or exuberant, but focused. Unusual.

"I want you to train me."

"Were you asleep or something when I said you _passed_ the genin test? I _am_ training you."

"NO! I want you to _train _me! What you're doing now… it's not _real_. You're one of the strongest ninja in the village! You didn't get there by doing D-ranks! I'm ready!" Naruto seemed deadly serious. Frankly, he'd expected this sort of outburst from Sasuke rather than the blond.

"You know, you didn't make the best impression today. You were _late_, and used quite frankly stupid tactics in the spar." Heh. He was one to talk about lateness.

"I… I was finding stuff out! Like that you're ANBU, and really really strong, and hang out by this thing," Naruto gestured at the Memorial Stone, "a lot, for some reason. And it was only half an hour! That's like, two hours _early_!"

He had a point about that last part. As for the rest, Kakashi was a bit surprised. "May I ask _why_ you were investigating me?"

"I was thinking a bit about when we first met you, and that we did introductions, and that you didn't say _anything_, and that the only things I know about you are that you're weak against chalkboard erasers, _really_ don't like the sun, and have very long and very bony fingers. So I wanted to find out more."

Naruto had shivered a bit when it came to the "bony fingers" part. Still, that was a decent attitude for a shinobi to have, as information, whether on your enemies or comrades capabilities, could easily save lives. Perhaps he really had…?

"_Why_ do you want to get stronger?" A nonchalant question. But Naruto seemed to be giving it the consideration it deserved. He was acting very differently than he usually did. More thought behind his actions, more wisdom in his words.

"I… don't want anyone to die…" Kakashi almost gave a snort. His student picked up on his disbelief, and continued, "I_ know_ people die, and they leave you all alone…" Here Naruto looked very downcast for a brief moment, but he gathered himself, "but I'm not letting it happen to you guys! I'll stop anyone who tries to hurt, _kill_, you, Sakura-chan, Iruka-sensei and Hokage-jiji! Even that bastard Sasuke!"

"None of that "greatest Hokage ever" business?"

"I still want to be Hokage, and I still want to be acknowledged, but… It's more important to me that you guys are all right! Even Sasuke!"

"Kind of you to include him." He _was_ ready.

"I know!"

"In the future, after training, stay behind. And _try_ to be discreet." _Finally._

* * *

><p>Sasuke was below his house, in the basement dojo. Slowly, he opened his eyes, and felt his chakra begin to drain away. He had them! The Sharingan! For once, he was actually <em>happy<em>. Shifting into that odd stance that had led to his unconsciousness today, the last Uchiha prepared to unleash _hell_ on a log.

* * *

><p>That night, when Sakura lay in bed, she thought, and slept little.<p>

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Very little Rorschach in this chapter. There'll be more next time, and I feel it's more important to develop the entire cast than to force that vigilante into a chapter he doesn't fit into. Safer, too. Don't mess with chakra-enhanced Rorschach.


	11. Chapter 11 - Life in Konoha

"Manhattan?"

Rorschach was alone again, in his prison. Nothing to do but rest. And inform Manhattan of what he had discovered.

If the blue fool would _answer_.

"MANHATTAN!"

He hadn't been told how to establish contact. Manhattan just appeared, talked, left. Stupid. Would he just have to _wait_?

Rorschach gathered chakra into his right hand, thought of fire, and punched the wall. He hit it harder than he'd dared, been able to, before he'd been tampered with. His hand unharmed, even if the blow had enough force behind it to crack concrete.

Wall was unharmed too, though the air tasted like soot.

Hadn't really expected anything else. The things these ninja could do…

Could they stop Manhattan?

Surely impossible. Manhattan was not… limited, like humans. As far as Rorschach knew, the only thing which had even inconvenienced the once-human was the energies of his own creation, and even that not for long. The only thing which could stop him was his own hesitation-

And whatever that had sent him away, that he'd sent Rorschach to investigate.

Mere humans couldn't walk on walls, conjure fire and lightning, duplicate themselves, _invade minds_…

Even Manhattan couldn't do that last one. Probably.

This warranted further investigation.

* * *

><p>He was being followed. He probably had been throughout his entire stay, but couldn't say for sure. Flickers. Shadows. A glimpse of skeletal whiteness. What should he-<p>

"Ah, you've noticed." Kakashi spoke, in his usual lazy drawl.

No use in false denials. "Yes. Who are they?"

Kakashi's gaze was momentarily focused. "_They_? Not bad. Few notice the ANBU, though everyone know they're present. You don't, but still noticed."

"Who _are_ they?"

"ANBU. Masked shadows. The hidden strike force of every village. Personal soldiers of their Kage. They take care of what the regular forces can't, or won't."

"Crime?"

"…Yes, that too. You haven't been informed of this, so how…?"

"A guess." ANBU… sounded interesting. _This_ was… the way things _should_ be.

"Would you like to see one?" Not waiting for an answer, the Copy-nin performed an odd twisting gesture, outside Rorschach's line of sight.

An ANBU appeared.

He was attired in a plain, functional black and gray outfit. On his back, there was a sword. The only distinguishing feature was a white, vaguely feline mask, with three red stripes on either side of it. Rorschach approved. At a nod from Kakashi, the ANBU departed.

"What would it take to become an ANBU?"

There was, somehow, the suggestion of a truly _sadistic_ smile beneath Kakashi's mask.

"Somehow, that seems-"

"Greetings, my ETERNAL RIVAL!"

Rorschach responded the same way he always did to loud, unexpected noises: with force. It would have been lethal force, but he didn't have anything sharp or flammable on him.

His punch was deftly caught.

He… he'd thought _Naruto _was an eyesore! The decidedly unpunched being in front of him was clad _entirely_ in green spandex, excluding an identical vest to the one Kakashi wore. And _orange legwarmers. _The… man… smiled brilliantly, teeth somehow letting out a clearly audible "ping!".

"Unusual stance, but firmly rooted. Decent power, good speed. You are a chuunin, yes?"

Kakashi answered. "Unranked. My responsibility."

The man looked intensely interested for just an instant. He then let loose a full, rumbling laugh.

"Oh, my dear rival, finally you pay the price for your UNYOUTHFUL ways! I can't imagine what-"

Kakashi somehow managed to interrupt a rant of almost shouted volume with a mere: "Did you say something, Gai?"

Somewhere the silver-haired ninja had found a small, orange book, and was deeply engrossed.

"AH! My RIVAL! So HIP and COOL!" Gai made frantic windmilling movements with his arms, almost as if warding off evil.

Rorschach began to wonder if everyone else was following some sort of script he hadn't received.

Kakashi emitted a soft giggle.

Someone grabbed his shoulder. Rorschach was too… surprised by what was going on in front of him to react in the usual way.

"You look a bit shell-shocked, mate. This your first time watching the… rivals?" A bearded, smoking and somehow familiar looking man pointed to the wildly gesticulating Gai and his unmoving opponent.

"…Yes."

"Don't worry, this is about as bad as it gets. All jounin are a bit… odd. These two, more so than most."

Rorschach wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Sarutobi Asuma's the name." The bearded man was followed by three kids.

"Rorschach." Asuma's eyes narrowed. So did those of one the kids, the lazy one. The blonde girl was disinterested, and the chubby one kept munching happily on his snack. Though his eyes flickered to the lazy one with the sharp eyes.

"Haven't seen you around."

"He's with me, Asuma." Kakashi's situation had been resolved. "I have to get to my team, and you should train yours." Asuma looked a bit sheepish.

"Let's go."

As he was pulled away _again_, Rorschach wondered about the two he had been introduced to. One thing bothered him.

He hadn't heard them arrive. Either of them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Gai arrives! Short chapter, 'cause I really, really should be working on other stuff.


	12. Chapter 12 - Two Missions

"It's time for a D-rank!" The one-eyed man seemed suspiciously cheerful about that fact, especially when you considered the universal hostility the word evoked. Even Scowler's expression tightened.

"Oh come on, it'll be fun! I'm sure Tora has missed you guys!"

Naruto gave a violent twitch, as if remembering a particularly vicious assailant. Sasuke's already pale face got whiter in colour.

"What is a D-rank?"

From thin air, the questioned produced an illustrative chart and enthusiastically began the explanation.

"There are five different mission ranks, D, C, B, A and S, sorted according to difficulty. D-ranks are the easiest. We've got to evaluate Rorschach-san's mission performance, and we'll start off with something simple. So, a D-rank!"

The silver-haired man strode off, whistling merrily.

How, exactly, did one whistle with a mask on?

* * *

><p>Far away, on a recently mist-shrouded bridge.<p>

"Fuck. He's here. Bull, Fuuton. Cat, be ready to shield." As he issued the terse commands and the mist hesitantly began to disperse, Lizard scolded himself internally. He couldn't have known, but he should have sent for backup anyway. A missing-nin of this calibre, and in addition whatever allies he'd gathered for himself, was too much for even his squad. If they all made it out alive, it would be a-

His thoughts were interrupted by a thunk, followed by a wet, gasping cough, and the distinctive sound of blood, too much blood, splattering the ground.

"Dog!"

* * *

><p>"Hmmm… I honestly thought we'd start out with something easier than this…" Kakashi let go momentarily of his extraordinarily happy demeanor. It was, apparently, an especially hard D-rank. Why, Rorschach had no idea.<p>

"We are collecting a cat."

"…Tora…" Naruto wasn't nearly as exuberant today as he usually was. He'd been repeating that one word for a while now.

"It's not… a normal cat." Pink-head paled significantly as he turned his gaze toward her, and refused to elaborate.

"A missing cat."

"We are indeed!" The sensei was beaming again.

"…Tora…"

"Quiet, Naruto."

"Quiet you too, Sasuke. I think our target's in range. Take these." From a random pocket, four sets of handless communicators were produced.

"Stand ready."

* * *

><p>"I haven't seen this technique before."<p>

A momentary calm, in the midst of the storm. He would use it, for what information he could get. But he couldn't wait for long. His… remaining… comrades were still out there. And they wouldn't last long.

"It is… special. It is, in a way, the reason for my existence. The reason he chose me. My strongest jutsu."

The apparition in the mirror drew a brace of senbon, and, in doing so, multiplied. Masked, soft-spoken adversaries surrounded him.

"I shall have to harden my heart for this. But not much, you all are already killers."

"We are. Bring it on."

Despite the situation, Lizard smirked beneath his mask. This could very well be his last fight. Might as well enjoy it. His grip tightened around his _special_ knife.

* * *

><p>The creature was squirming violently under his grip. It couldn't get out.<p>

"You are _soldiers_. Stronger, faster than any normal human. Yet you _hunt cats_?"

"…Yes?" Kakashi's tone was inquisitive.

Sasuke had nothing to contribute.

Naruto seemed to be tensely anticipating something. Nervous, jittery, constantly in motion. Not uncommon for the kid, but above normal levels.

Sakura was staring with concerned eyes at the feline in question. Contrarily to the other team-members whose emotions ranged from cheerful indifference, wary alertness and abject fear, she seemed to have a soft spot for the elusive creature.

Kakashi's no longer meandering voice filled the awkward silence. Now it was clear, sharp, precise. As his team noticed it tended to become once danger was near.

"D-ranks are supposed to be easy. We don't send fresh genin on assassination missions, or even ones where there might be even the possibility of combat. You noticed that we pulled out of Tazuna's mission when it appeared that we might meet trained shinobi, didn't you? These D-ranks are made to get to know each other and get used to working together in a safe environment."

That... made sense. Rorschach felt his anger begin to dissipate.

"When are you judged ready for combat?"

"Aaah, difficult question. Generally only tokubetsu jounin and higher are sent on missions with a certainty of direct battle. Though, in wartime, squads of fresh chuunin have been sent on missions like this, missions they certainly were NOT ready for." Kakashi's tone was dark, angry, for just a moment there.

Pondering this, Rorschach's attention drifted from the tightly clutched cat for only a moment, but long enough. Tora twisted and lashed out.

"Keh!" At the shallow scratch, an involuntary stream of fire erupted from the vigilante's gloves.

Tora wailed, as only a wounded feline can.

* * *

><p>Fragments of a broken cat-mask fell from his face, as Tenzo managed to lift himself to his full height. Zabuza'd smashed it, an unexpected strike with the unimpressive hilt of his impressive sword. Tenzo was pretty sure at least one fragment of the mask had completely pierced his cheek, but he couldn't feel it. All he could feel was his own raging heartbeat and the dull throb where his right hand used to be connected to his wrist. His chakra felt strange, wavering, unstable.<p>

"Lie down and die, Konoha ANBU. You know you cannot win this." Zabuza's voice was disdainful, but he wasn't quite free from injury himself. All Lizard-squad had managed to accomplish on his person were a shallow gash along one leg (Bull had died for it, a rapidly extended wind-blade had obviously not been unexpected enough) and what had to be a hell of a bruise from Tenzo's own Mokuton hammer. Didn't appear to have slowed him down. Not enough. Not nearly.

Lizard himself was still trapped in the by now heavily cracked and partially melted ice-prison.

There might have been a grin on Tenzo's face as he answered. "Do you really think I will?"

"No. You Konoha-nin rarely do."

The mirror-prison burst into shards of melting ice.

Lizard was tackling Zabuza's accomplice, creatively barbed knife being wrenched from an arm to stab again.

"Haku!" The Demon of the Mist sounded unbelieving, angry. Had he not believed an Anbu-captain enough to deal with his accomplice? Did he **care** about this child?

The Demon charged at Lizard.

Tenzo thrust his crippled arm forward and living wood (_living _wood?) burst free from it. A monstrous swing was, for the first time, _repelled_ by the Mokuton.

Lizard stabbed again, and wrenched.

"HAKU!" Now there was only rage in his voice. The missing-nin's killing intent easily tripled, and something hazy purple and screaming seemed to emerge from his back.

The knife came down again.

Zabuza _threw _his sword. It sank through the wood like nothing, through Lizards torso like even less.

Tenzo gaped, for an instant, then his grip tightened on Haku.

Zabuza moved to retriev-

"Stop."

e his sword, not bothered by the meaningless words of Konoha scum, he-

"Stop, or this one dies."

Juddered to a halt.

Tenzo smiled.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: **Thought I'd forgotten the Wave Arc, didn't you?


End file.
